A Study Of The Letter Of First John – Personalities Of The Children Of God – Part I Series

Personalities of the Children of God – They Are Righteous

1 John 2:28 And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming.

1 John 2:29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.

The word “abide” is in the present tense and gives forth the meaning that the Christian should “be constantly abiding in Him.”

This exhortation here to “abide” is given in view of the uncertainty of the time of Jesus’ coming. He is coming but we do not know the day nor the hour that He will appear so the believer must live in close fellowship with His Lord that he or she may be ready at all times for that coming.

If Jesus would have told His disciples that He was coming to get the church on October 26th, 2008 many would “party hearty” on up through October 25th and start repenting at 11:55PM.

The fact is that Jesus is coming to rapture His church but no one knows the day or the hour He will appear.

Christ’s appearance will result in confidence

John goes on to communicate to his readers that Christ's appearance will inevitably cause one of two reactions: confidence or shame.

For the believer, the response is confidence. The term "confidence" is a translation of a Greek word, which literally means "all speech" or "freedom in speech." It also means “cheerful courage,” “boldness” or “assurance.”

John is describing the believer who lives so close to the Lord Jesus that there is nothing between him and his Lord when He appears. There is nothing of known sin in his life when the rapture occurs.

This is the person who when Jesus appears will shout as recorded in Revelation 5:12, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and blessing!"

And, Revelation 7:10, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"

The confidence that John writes about is indicated in the believer's ability to verbalize, in contrast to the silent terror and shame of those who must quake before Him at His return.

Christ’s appearance will result in shame

There will be some who in shame will shrink from Him when He appears. They will shrivel low and won’t have much, if any, to say because of conscious guilt and His glorious presence.

Just like the brightness of the son causes our unprotected eyes to contract, the person who stands before the Lord Jesus ashamed, will shrink away from Him at His appearance.

This is why the Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:9, “Therefore also we have as our ambition . . . to be pleasing to Him.” A Christian who has not walked in fellowship with Christ in obedience, love, and truth will lose his rewards; and this will make him experience shame.

1 John 2:29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.

John wants us to know in verse 29 that God is righteous: He is innocent of any evil; He always does right and makes right judgments. If that is characteristic of Him, you would expect His children to behave in the same manner; so John says, “…everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.”

Peter reminds us that children of God do not act like they did before they were born again: "As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance but, as he who hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of life, because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy." (1 Peter 1:14-16)

This means if He who gave birth to us is holy, then we who are born of Him will show forth that same righteousness in our lives.

Those who claim to know God but don't live righteously discredit their claim by their lifestyle. It is so easy to “say” we have faith but not have the righteous lifestyle to back it up.

Jesus speaks of those who call Him “Lord” and do not do what He says (Luke 6:46).

James even warns us against having a “say so” faith. (James 2:18) He goes on to teach that biblical faith is coupled with righteous deeds.

The Bible says in the book of Titus, “Let those who of you who have believed in God be careful to maintain good works.” (Titus 3:8)

Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

Too much today do we have people who “say” they are Christian but do not have the lifestyle to prove it.